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November 2024 Election Results
Borough Council
*DEM Niaz Nadim - 1261 - 31.95%
*DEM Elizabeth Rodriguez - 1277 - 32.35%
REP Maria Emma Anderson - 726 - 18.39%
REP William Willemsen - 680 - 17.23%
Write-In - 3 - .09%
Board Of Education
*Daysi Gonzalez - 966 - 34.52%
*Dhariany Valerio-Rodriguez - 913 - 32.63%
*Jabed Khan - 869 - 31.06%
Write-In - 50 - 1.79%
Manchester Board Of Education
* Gideon Ewusi - 947 - 98.03%
Write-In - 1.97%
* denotes winner
May 24, 2024 The Record Rare council primary in Prospect Park pits incumbent against two backed by mayor by Philip DeVencentis PROSPECT PARK — Three Democrats are vying for two nominations to represent their party in a race for seats on the Borough Council. The primary election on June 4 will pit Niaz Nadim and Elizabeth Rodríguez, running as a slate, against Councilman Zack Daghstani, who was appointed to fill an unfinished term in July. It is the first time in seven years that there is a contest between Democrats for spots on the council. A party split is responsible for the rare competition. Daghstani, a delivery driver, was elected to the one-year term in November. But he recently fell out of favor with Mayor Mohamed Khairullah, he said, after challenging his authority. After that, Daghstani said he lost the mayor’s backing for reelection. He is on the same ticket as Jerry Speziale, the public safety director in neighboring Paterson and a candidate for Passaic County sheriff. “If I say nothing, our town’s going down,” said Daghstani, 55, of North 14th Street. “There’s a lot of corruption in our town.” Khairullah, who is running in a Democratic primary to unseat Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. in the 9th Congressional District of New Jersey, endorsed Nadim and Rodríguez. Recreation offerings and tax stabilization are among the areas of concern for Nadim, 39, of North 17th Street, now in his second term on the Board of Education. He said he wants to increase public access to the soccer field at Hofstra Park. The pitch has a synthetic surface and is often rented to private entities. Prospect Park Councilman Zack Daghstani, a Democrat, will be challenged in a primary election on June 4 by Niaz Nadim and his running mate, Elizabeth Rodríguez. “I never say I’m going to fix everything,” said Nadim, an e-commerce executive. “It’s a team effort, so I want to work with my team to fix the problems.” Rodríguez, 31, a mother of four children under 12 and a resident of Planten Avenue, said she is also focused on improving the lives of local youth. “For me, everything is about the community and helping them in better ways,” said Rodríguez, a school psychologist apprentice. “I care a lot about the community.” Winners of the Democratic primary will most likely square off with a pair of former school board trustees in the general election on Nov. 5. Maria Emma Anderson, a longtime adversary of the Khairullah camp, is teaming up with William Willemsen to capture the three-year council vacancies. They will be uncontested in a Republican primary. May 16, 2024 The Record Taxes are flat under Manchester Regional budget, but one town still sees big increase by Philip DeVencentis HALEDON — The Manchester Regional school board has approved a $31.7 million budget for next year in which the overall tax burden shared by three constituent towns will remain flat. But the smallest of those communities — Prospect Park — is not deriving any benefit. In fact, residents there will be hit by a hefty tax hike while those in Haledon and in North Haledon are getting their bills lowered. The disparity places renewed emphasis on a debate that has raged on and off for decades: What is the most equitable way to fund operations at the regional high school? Bridget Arrick, one of two Prospect Park trustees on the Board of Education, said she disagreed with the current approach. “The formula I see is a flawed formula,” Arrick said when the budget was introduced in March. Trustees took a final vote on the spending plan this month with Arrick and her Prospect Park colleague, Mohamad Daghstani, the school board vice president, not in attendance. The budget will be supported by a tax levy of $11.6 million — the same amount as this year. It is the third time in five years that trustees passed a spending plan without an increase. The average property owner in Haledon, with a home assessed at $231,700, will see a tax bill decrease of $50. The average property owner in North Haledon, with a home assessed at $382,655, will see a decrease of $106. The average property owner in Prospect Park, with a home assessed at $212,604, will see an increase of $379. Those figures are calculated using a funding formula that was created by the state Department of Education in August 2013. In simple terms, half of the tax burden is based on enrollment, and the other half on ratables. The funding controversy was brewing for years before the formula took effect. At one point, North Haledon tried to secede from Manchester Regional, and to send its students to Midland Park Junior-Senior High School, because it footed a disproportionate share of the tax burden. However, the state Supreme Court ruled that its withdrawal would have upset the racial harmony of the high school. Monument sign at entrance to Manchester Regional High School on Church Street in Haledon. Peaks and troughs of enrollment cause the tax burden to fluctuate. In the 2020 school year, for example, taxpayers in Haledon and in North Haledon paid more while those in Prospect Park enjoyed a $33 decrease. Prospect Park is bearing the brunt of the tax burden next year because its enrollment at Manchester Regional increased by 52 students while the number of students from Haledon and from North Haledon went down. Trustee Jeffrey Fischer, of Haledon, said he thinks that the formula should account for all local students — including those enrolled at Passaic County Technical Institute in Wayne. More than a third of high school-age children from Haledon, North Haledon and Prospect Park — a total of 465 — attend PCTI. Manchester Regional, whose enrollment is 751, pays tuition for students who go there. “Manchester is educating, financially, 1,216 kids, but the state doesn’t use those numbers in the formula,” Fischer said. “You can’t ignore 465 kids and say it’s fair.” March 7, 2024 The Record Prospect Park Mayor Khairullah challenges Pascrell by Kyle Morel New
Jersey's longest-serving Muslim mayor has announced a campaign to
challenge incumbent Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. in the June primary
elections for the Democratic nomination in the 9th Congressional
District.
Prospect Park Mayor Mohamed T. Khairullah
officially declared his candidacy on Thursday, touting his background
as an educator and former volunteer firefighter with more than 30 years
of public service.
"Now more than ever, our nation requires leaders who genuinely listen to the diverse voices of their constituents; leaders who are dedicated to building bridges and building a better future," a statement from Khairullah reads. "I firmly believe that by working together and engaging with communities at the grassroots level, we can create meaningful change." Pascrell, 87, served as mayor of Paterson in the 1990s before winning election to Congress in 1996. If he wins reelection, he would be the oldest member of the House of Representatives and the second-oldest person in Congress. “Congressman Pascrell is eager to run for reelection against any challenger on his broad record of supporting the American economy, defending women's health freedom, and protecting American democracy. He has always had a good relationship with the mayor, including being the first in line to demand an explanation from the Secret Service when the mayor was banned entry to the White House,” said Pascrell campaign spokesman Ben Rich. Since he was first elected Prospect Park mayor in
2005, Khairullah has advocated for his constituents through policies
such as affordable housing, modernized infrastructure, green
initiatives and artificial intelligence, according to the statement.
The mayor, it reads, aims to continue serving the public in Congress by
addressing a range of issues in local communities while innovating the
government for the 21st century.
Khairullah
is so far the lone primary challenger to Pascrell, who received
the endorsement of Democratic leaders in
Bergen, Hudson and Passaic counties last month. Paterson Mayor Andre
Sayegh had been contemplating a run against the incumbent but decided
not to seek the seat a week before the endorsements.
"My campaign is dedicated to promoting peace, rebuilding trust with the community, and championing the values of unity and progress," Khairullah said. "It’s time to move forward." Khairullah
made national news last May when he was abruptly
disinvited from a White House Eid
al-Fitr celebration. At the time he said he was stunned after getting a
call disinviting him while he was in his car just miles away from the
event.
Khairullah said he was informed that the Secret
Service denied him security clearance and he could no longer attend the
gathering of prominent Muslim leaders and President Joe Biden.
The mayor was not on the federal terrorism watchlist when the U.S. Secret Service denied his security clearance, his attorneys said at the time. Khairullah was placed on the watchlist in 2019,
but his name was later removed from the list, said attorneys with the
Council on American-Islamic Relations. Still, federal agencies have
continued to use the list to scrutinize and surveil Khairullah and
other Muslims even after their names are cleared, they said.
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8/12/2024 The Record
State of the Program: Manchester football building hope for the future by Greg Tartaglia
So much is different with Manchester Regional
football.
The Haledon school has a new coach in Burim Ala, a
2004 graduate who takes over for his former coach, Rande Roca, who
guided the team for 20 of the past 22 years.
The Falcons will kick off 2022 on the
fully-refurbished Giacin Field, which has been upgraded with FieldTurf
and lights.
And all of this is spurring new interest in the
team.
“We have 15 seniors, and 10 of them are new this
year,” Ala said. “We have some returning with some experience, some
coming in without much experience, but we have a lot of athletes this
year.”
Manchester Regional High School announced Burim Ala
as its new football coach at the Board of Education meeting on
Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022. From left: Superintendent Gary Lubisco, Ala
and BOE president Valdo Panzera.
More importantly for a program that has just one
winning season since Ala graduated, there is hope building.
“Obviously, the [new] field plays a large part in
getting kids out,” the coach said. “We have a lot more kids on the team
at this point than we have in the last couple of years… and within the
team, we have a lot of positive attitude going on.”
Even the schedule is fresh. Manchester played in
the Colonial Division since the NJIC’s 2010 inception, but this year
moves into the Liberty.
“I find it exciting when we’re playing newer
teams,” said Ala, who must gameplan for unfamiliar opponents such as
New Milford and Secaucus. “When I played in high school, in the B-PSL,
you played the same schedule over and over, and you knew the teams.
Now, from a coach’s perspective, you get to see what other coaches are
doing. You get to break down film. It makes it all new again.”
The tradition
Nov. 1, 2003 (Haledon) -- Manchester Regional High
School's Burim Ala, #35 bear hugs head coach Rande Roca after
Manchester scored a touchdown putting them ahead of Midland Park,
43-32. Offensive line coach Jon Banta, far left, joins the festivities
on the sideline. Manchester clinched a playoff appearance with their
victory. Photo by Amy Newman/Herald News
Manchester has been to the state tournament just
three times, but Ala was involved in two of those runs.
He was a senior fullback/linebacker for the 2003
squad that went 8-3 and ended a seven-year playoff drought. Then, he
was the defensive coordinator on the 2017 team that scored the Falcons’
first postseason victory.
Their last division title came in 1996 – along with
the best record in school history (9-1) – under Mike Columbo, who
remains the only coach to post a winning career mark at Manchester
(24-22).
The challenge
The Falcons have been an established Wing-T team
for the better part of two decades, and while Ala aims to “incorporate
some aspects” of the strategy, big changes are ahead for the offense.
“We’re going to be taking into account the type of
athletes that we have and trying to build off of their greatest
attributes,” he said. “For the most part, speed is the No. 1 attribute
that we have on the team. So, we’re trying to put the kids in position
to be to be successful in that sense.”
Two players who made contributions as freshmen will
be leaders now as seniors. Running back/linebacker Ne’Khiycie Jackson
returns as a captain after a season away, and Subhi Kanaan is playing
for the first time in three years.
“Our kids are buying in right now,” Ala said.
“They’re working really hard throughout the entire summer, and right
now, things are looking really good for us.”
Expectations
(L to R), Gary Lubisco, Jr., Superintendent, Valdo
Panzera, Board President, Hillton Gonzalez, Vice President, Patrick
DeMarco, Trustee, Liliana Baez, Trustee and Ralph Barca, Board member,
pose with shovels for the groundbreaking ceremony for an artificial
turf field and stadium-style lights, a $1.85 million project, at Giacin
field of Manchester Regional High School in Haledon on 11/01/21.
Expectations at Manchester often start out low, and
that easily could be the case given a 10-24 record since the 2017
playoff season. Ala, though, aims to keep the focus off wins and losses.
“We’re definitely a lot better now than I thought
we were going to be at the end of last season,” he said. “A lot more
kids showed up… so in that sense, it’s looking good.”
The Falcons’ long-term goal is to get back above
.500 and into postseason contention, “hopefully setting the foundation
for upcoming seasons,” Ala said.
Along the way, Manchester hopes to open some eyes.
“I think we’re going be surprisingly competitive,”
Ala added. “It’s not going to be a typical ‘roll over Manchester’ type
of year, where [opponents] come in, get healthy and walk out. I think
people are going to have a tough time with us.”
November
2024
Election Results Borough Council Vote for 2 DEM
Niaz Nadim - 1261 - 31.95%
DEM
Rlizabeth Rodriguez - 1277 - 32.35%
REP
Maria Emma Anderson - 726 - 18.39%
REP
William Willemsen - 680 - 17.23%
Write-In
- 3 - 0.08%
Board
Of Education Vote for 3
Daysi
Gonzalez - 966 - 34.52%
Dhariany
Valerio-Rodriguez - 913 - 32.63%
Jabed
Khan - 869 - 31.06%
Write-In
- 50 - 1.79%
Manchester
Board Of Education Vote for 1
Gideon
Ewusi -947 - 98.03%
Write-In
- 19 - 1.97%
December 24, 2024 Bergen Record
<>by Philip DeVencentis
Is North Jersey official using public land as his backyard? A
small patch of publicly owned land is at the center of a budget issue
after a sitting councilman was accused of annexing the property to his
own yard without paying taxes on it.
Aerial
photos and an official survey of 261 E. Main St. appear to support
those claims against Councilman Anand Shah, a Democrat in his third
term, for virtually doubling the size of his 50-by-100-foot lot near
the Hawthorne and Paterson borders.
The
concerns were aired at multiple meetings of the Borough Council by one
of its staunchest critics, Maria Emma Anderson, who lives less than a
block south.
Anderson,
a Republican, said officials should sell the land to collect needed
revenue. She claims that they refuse to do so to protect the councilman.
“They’re
all in cahoots and accomplices of Councilman Shah — all of them,”
Anderson said.
Tax
records show that Shah purchased his property, at 257 E. Main St., in
September 2008. A survey of the borough lot indicates that much of it
is manicured, sodded and surrounded by a vinyl fence, which connects to
a staircase on the councilman’s lot.
Shah,
42, said he did not know until this year that the improvements he made
more than a decade ago were on public land. He said he cut down trees
and fenced in the yard for his toddler son, who is now a teenager. All
of the upgrades were signed off by the borough, he said.
“I’m
very, very innocent,” Shah said. “Who, in their right mind, would
invest that kind of money if you don’t even own the land?”
The
survey, conducted by Toms River-based RWC Surveying, also shows that a
driveway and a corner of a frame garage, at 398 N. Seventh St., are
encroaching on the partially wooded borough lot. The municipal property
is two-tenths of an acre and assessed at $55,300.
The
council was poised to adopt an ordinance on July 15 that would have
made the borough lot available to bidders. But Borough Attorney Denis
Murphy advised that it be tabled, and the measure has not reappeared on
an agenda.
Anderson
asked the council about the potential auction on Oct. 21, but officials
said they were not prepared to sell the borough lot due to
“encroachments by adjoining property owners.”
“We’re
looking into how to resolve those encroachments,” Murphy said, so that
the “property is fully marketable.”
Mayor
Mohamed Khairullah said at the time that Anderson, a former Board of
Education trustee, was “playing politics” by broaching the subject.
“It
has nothing to do with politics,” she said.
“Yes,”
the mayor countered, it has “100% to do with politics. Your little
political games are not going to win you anything.”
“I’m
not in it for winning,” she hurled back. “I’m in it for justice.”
Anderson
tried to bring up the topic when the council met last week, but
Khairullah would not allow it to be discussed. She said selling the
borough lot could help to balance the $8.5 million local spending plan
and to reduce the impact on hardworking residents.
Under
the new budget, municipal tax bills increased for average homeowners by
$41.34 per month — or $496.08 per year.
Officials
attributed the tax hike to a revenue deficit caused by a loss of
pandemic relief aid.
“I
know that any increase in taxes can place a burden on your household,”
Khairullah said in a letter to residents, and “I want you to know my
administration has been fighting to limit these impacts as much as
possible.”
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